


Iron is a Girl's Best Friend

by Adarian



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-15 23:19:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11816289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adarian/pseuds/Adarian
Summary: Scotty goes to pick up Jaylah at her San Francisco apartment for a night out with the Enterprise gang. Instead he finds his friend despondent about not getting a well-deserved job and he gives her the pep talk she needs.





	Iron is a Girl's Best Friend

Scotty waited impatiently at the bottom of the steps. He checked the time again. Eventually he walked up to the intercom and punched in Jaylah's apartment number. The door buzzed him open and he took the elevator up to her floor. He let himself in, calling out that he was doing so.

He expected Jaylah to be running around dressing up for their night out on the town, but instead she was collapsed fully clothed on her bed. She held a pillow to her chest, her fingers gripping into it like she was going to tear it in two.

"You alright, lass?" Scotty asked. "Are you sick?"

She glared at him briefly. "No."

"If you are, that's okay. I'll let the rest of our friends know. I can stick around if you like, make you something to eat."

"I am not hungry." 

Scotty asked, "Lassie, what's wrong?"

She said in an angry whisper, "I did not get it."

"The apprenticeship?" Scotty asked. "With Professor Bakula? Really? I thought she said it was a sure thing."

"It was not. Some boy with bad teeth and no hair got it. I did not like him before and I do not like him now. I do not like Professor Bakula either. She lied to me."

"Lass, I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt you. You know it's her higher ups who make these decisions." 

Jaylah didn't say anything, just continuing to stare a hole into the wall. She pulled her knees slightly closer to her chest, allowing space enough on the bed for Scott to sit. He did so, carefully, making sure she didn't feel crowded.

"It should have been me, Monty Scotty," she muttered. "If I were a man like him, then it would have been me."

"Aw, sweetheart, that's not true."

"Do not lie to me," she said. "I know what is true. We are the same. No, I am better than him. I have higher marks, I am smarter, and I can fight. You say to me that I know more than Jim Tee when he goes to the Academy and he is Captain of the Enterprise now. It should have been me but they said no because he is a human man and I refuse to wear a skirt."

Scotty wanted to tell her that had nothing to do with it, but he wouldn't lie to her. 

"Jaylah," he said as gently as he could, "you know that you have not always been...popular with Academy administration but you have a good head on your shoulders and an even better heart. There will be other jobs. Better jobs. You don't even like xenolinguistics. You're like me. A good engineer with good practical skills that isn't afraid to blow a few circuits to learn something new. You'll get your iron ring soon enough and you'll come work with me on the Enterprise."

"What is this ring?"

Scotty took off his own worn iron band. Jaylah sat up and held out her hand. He put it in her palm, surprised as always by how small it was.

"There is an ancient earth ceremony," Scotty explained, "called the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. We speak our intentions to practice honourably. Not for show, not for spectacle, but to proud of our work as it stands. It is hammered and rough and will remind you every day of what it means to be responsible for so many lives. We should be humbled that we are allowed to serve and strive to be the very best we can be, lass." 

"Yours is not rough," she commented.

Scotty smiled and put it back on his little finger. "I am not that young anymore. I've had some time to wear it down."

"And one day I will wear that?"

"If you want to. You don't have to be an engineer, Jaylah."

She flinched and insisted, "I still want to be an engineer."

He said, "I just mean if you rather do programming-"

Jaylah demanded, "I want to make things and make them well. I will be an engineer. This changes nothing."

Scotty smiled. "You're right, it doesn't. It's just a job. There will be another one." 

Jaylah said, "I don't want another job. I wanted this job. I was perfect, Monty Scotty. I was the right person."

He put his arm around her shoulder. "I know, I know, but you know what's going to happen to that boy who got it? He's going to settle into a career that he likes and do decent work improving communicators. And he'll go to fancy parties and meet fancy people and have fancy babies. But you? You're going to do things that don't even exist yet. You're brilliant, lass, and you're going to be just fine." 

She took a deep breath and conceded, "Maybe."

"Now come on now," he said. "We've got a night out of drinking and celebrating ahead of us. They've all missed you terribly you know and we managed to get both Mr. Sulus to accompany us. What do you say? You still in?"

He rose and offered his hand. She took it and gave the ghost of a smile. After he helped her up, he clapped her on the back. 

"Did I ever tell you about kilts?" He said. "It's traditional wear for a Scotsman, kinda like your skirts. Now those are comfortable to wear. Nice and airy."

"I do not need to hear about your airs," she said, giving him a playful shove.

He chuckled. "Aye, no one does."

**Author's Note:**

> I have a soft spot for Scotty partially because my father is a Scottish engineer. When I asked him why he didn't have his iron ring, he said that he lost it the week after he graduated golfing. Inspirational. Also we'll pretend that in the future this isn't just a Canadian thing because it's pretty cool.


End file.
